January 17, 2023

Papua New Guinea bans chicken imports from Asia and Australia

Papua New Guinea's National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority (NAQIA) has announced a directive to ban imports of fresh, frozen and chilled chicken, as well as chicken products, from Asia and Australia due to a biosecurity risk, Loop reported.

Joel Alu, managing director for NAQIA, said importers are only permitted to import chicken from New Zealand.

Alu said that the Papua New Guinea government has instructed importers and the general public to stop bringing in fresh, frozen, and chilled chicken through Circular Number 01-2023.

He said that the country's Poultry Industry Association had expressed concern to the government via the Minister of Agriculture regarding the biosecurity risk associated with the import of fresh, frozen, and chilled chicken as well as chicken products from Australia and Asia.

Alu said all import permits from all nations other than New Zealand have been terminated as of January 6, 2023.

He said that the ban would be in place indefinitely.

-      Loop